photo by hamed saber

I am a big believer in meetings.

You have to make the effort to be in the room with someone to talk about whatever it is that needs to be talked about.  Meetings are all about building relationships.

I also believe that when you find yourself talking about things other than the true business that brought you there in the first place, your meeting has subtly shifted to another level where you are enjoying your relationship.

It is usually at this point or shortly thereafter, that face time can become Facebook.  Or Twitter or any other on line network.  It rarely works the other way around.

In any geographic  and market area, there is no good reason why you cannot invest the shoe leather in building up face time with people.  Whether it is a meeting, a concert or an event by an emerging artist, it is very much appreciated.  For many, it is an important validation of their work.  For me, it is how I build community.

For funders, there is no substitute for face time.  Funders are partners in your work and should be treated respectfully as such.  Outside of online fundraising ie Facebook Causes or some kind of online competition or drive where you are utilizing a widespread trigger appeal,  I prefer to invest time with people to build a relationship slowly.  My community is smaller but more deeply invested.

Of all online properties, the ones that I believe to be the most valuable are blogs.  I gain a deeper sense of a person  by reading his/her blog.  I also like developing a relationship as a subscriber or by leaving thoughtful comments which can lead to interesting on line discussions and are always appreciated.  Before any type of gathering, I try to get a handle on everyone’s on line presence by reading their blogs.  Afterwards, I can follow up on unfinished conversations or discussion points.

Facebook is a fantastic can with a string, no question.  It is dominant in almost every western European country and almost 80% of its 500 mm users live outside of the United States.  I have a profound respect for its ability to connect people in networks both globally and locally.

I use Facebook as another line of communication to tie into a smaller but select community, cafe or circle of people holding the can.

Here’s what I do:

First, I will ask you for a meeting.

I want you to know I value your time and what you are doing.  We can share a lot about ourselves and how we can potentially do more together in a meeting.

Second, I will thank you for the meeting and invite you for lunch.

I appreciate the interest and time you spend with me.  Now let me take you out for lunch in a great restaurant in Queens.

Third and always, I will be helpful to you.

We all need to figure stuff out.  Is there something you need to find, someone you need to meet? Let me know how I can help.  Facebook me.

Get more Wow! out of your meeting

If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:

Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good

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Style Notes from me, your artspy

Hoong Yee